


Feeling This

by omgitsaddyc



Series: Cross My Heart - A Punk Rock AU [2]
Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: All of this is self-indulgent nonsense and I am sorry for none of it, Alternate Universe - College/University, Borrowed OCs, Dramatic Proposals, Early Relationship, Erik's a drummer in a band, Eyeliner Erik, Fluff, I'm not projecting you are, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of alcohol, Modern AU, Oral Sex, Sexy Dancing, and they lived happily ever after, handjobs, music festivals, the smut has arrived
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:14:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21758878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omgitsaddyc/pseuds/omgitsaddyc
Summary: Modern AU. Taking place right after "Boy At the Rock Show", Erik and Eleven begin to explore their brand-new relationship.
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Implied Serena/Jade
Series: Cross My Heart - A Punk Rock AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568188
Comments: 54
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My punk au lives!! I loved writing punk rock Erik so much that I went bananas and now this thing has a mind of its own! I have a good four chapters for this thing ready to go, but that doesn't mean I'll leave it at that ;).
> 
> Shoutout to dragonquesttbh (Eliza) for letting me blather on about this AU. This one's for you!!

It had been a little over a month since El had traded numbers with the cute guy he met at the summer music festival. He never intended to have fun, Jade begged him to go so she wouldn’t be alone. El thought the music was too loud and the food was expensive, but his mood had immediately lifted after meeting Erik.

They ended up hanging out for a set in the rain and mud, jumping around like they didn’t have a care in the world. Something about Erik made El loosen up a bit, and he decided he really enjoyed that, so much that once they traded numbers and parted ways that night they hadn’t stopped texting since.

El’s face was illuminated by his phone screen as Jade drove them back home. Traffic was crawling, so Jade didn’t have anything better to do than pester her little brother.

“That Erik?”

El looked over at her with a smile, flashing his phone screen at her long enough for her to read the exchange.

“Lunch tomorrow? You really liked him that much?”

El prodded her side with his elbow.

“Yeah, I did. Got a problem with that?”

She slapped her palm to her forehead. “Great, he’s already influencing you.” Jade played it up per her job as El’s older sister, but under the facade she was happy for her brother. He didn’t really try when it came to making friends or god forbid- going out on a date, so if Erik sparked interest in him, she wouldn’t complain. There were much worse people he could be spending his time with.

Over the next month Erik and Eleven spent most of their free time getting to know each other over lunch, coffee, movies, and just hanging out. 

El called them dates, but if anyone asked him if they were he’d deny it. As much as he wanted to make things official, he was worried Erik may not want the same thing. All the signs pointed to the fact that Erik did indeed like him back, but El was headed back to school at the end of the summer, and Erik would be staying here to work.

El woke to his phone buzzing on his nightstand. He rolled over and grabbed it, smiling when he noticed the sender. He swiped his finger across the screen to reply.

 **Erik:** morning! Wanna grab breakfast before my shift?

 **El:** yeah, meet you outside in 20?

 **Erik:** you got it!

El got up and tossed his phone on the bed. He dug through his closet before finding the jeans he was looking for, along with the least wrinkled shirt he could find slung over the chair in the corner of his room. He glared at the chair covered in clothing, one day he’d put it away. One day. He plodded down the stairs to the sounds and smells of his mother preparing breakfast.

“You’re certainly up early for a weekday! Headed out?” Amber asked, scooping a fresh batch of scrambled eggs onto a plate.

“Breakfast with Erik, I won’t be out too long. He has work later.” 

Amber clicked her tongue, a small, knowing smile on her face. “So when will I finally be introduced to this Erik? You’ve been spending a lot of time together lately.” 

El began to duck out of the door with a wave, a light blush dusting his cheeks. “Later, Mom!” 

Erik was parked at the curb, right on time. He was dressed in ripped skinny jeans cinched with a studded belt, a faded band tee and his favorite hunter green zip up hoodie. His signature eyeliner in place, along with his seemingly effortless tousled turquoise locks. He swore he didn’t use product, but El would get to the bottom of that one way or another. El jumped in and buckled his seatbelt before they took off. 

Erik could tell from the way he sat with his hands tucked under his thighs that something was on his mind. Coincidentally, something was on Erik’s mind as well. Seeing El as much as he had over the last month had felt like one of those cheesy dating montages straight out of a movie, and Erik didn’t want it to end anytime soon.

“Your mom ask about me again?” 

“...Yeah.”

“Why don’t we talk about it over pancakes? I’m starving. Not capable of rational thought, ya know? And there’s a cute boy in my car. Talk about _distracting_.”

El turned around in his seat like he was looking for another person. “Where is he? I’ll kill him.” El giggled as Erik slipped his hand into his between shifting gears. El watched him drive, it didn’t have to be this complicated. They had the technology.

“Why do you drive stick anyway? We’re in the future, Erik. You don’t have to live like this.” 

“So my sister can’t steal my car.”

“You have a sister?” 

“Yeah, her name’s Mia. Next time you’re over I’ll introduce you. She’s been at camp, but she just got home late last week.” 

El’s heart skipped a beat. Another step forward, maybe Erik was serious about this. He hadn’t done anything to make El think he wasn’t, quite the opposite, actually. Erik was happy to introduce him to his family, why was he so nervous for Erik to meet his mom? 

He wondered what his mom would think of Erik, with his bright hair, piercings, tattoos, and lop-sided grin like he was up to no good. He knew she’d love him all the same because he was special to El, so why was he so scared? Sure, he probably wasn’t who she pictured him bringing home, but… He worried his bottom lip and looked out the window, lost in his thoughts.

Once they were seated and food ordered, Erik held his coffee right under his nose like it contained the secrets of the universe. He took a hearty sip before setting it down and resting his chin in his hand, looking at El with a smug smile.

“So El, I’ve asked you here for a very specific reason on this fine tuesday morning. We’ve been hanging out for a month or so, and it’s been...really great. Seriously. I know you’re headed to school at the end of next month, and I’ll be damned if we just leave this before it can really start. So...do you wanna make it official?”

El’s stomach churned, and his heart leapt into his throat. That was not how he thought Erik’s sentence was going to end. He took a quick sip of his orange juice to buy his brain some time. Some of the minty taste from brushing his teeth earlier lingered, souring the juice.

“Like...boyfriend-official?”

Erik’s smile faltered a bit, nerves creeping in. “Yeah, if you want. If not, I get it, no problem. We can just keep on as we are, or you can tell me to fuck off -”

“Yes. I’d like that. Being your boyfriend,” El cut in, saving Erik from his anxious babbling. His face lit up, and El decided that was it. This was his goal, to make sure he got to see that smile as often as possible.

“Yeah. Awesome.” Erik smiled down into his coffee, taking another long sip. “Work is gonna suck so much less today.”

El grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come over after work? You know my mom’s dying to meet you.”

Erik looked at him curiously. “You sure?”

El gave a reassuring smile. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

A blush crept up Erik’s neck as he tried to hide it behind another sip of coffee. “Well, I’m off at 6, see you then?”

“Yeah, we’ll have dinner ready. Don’t stress, it won’t be anything formal. I’ll have mom make her famous stew.”

“Stew sounds great, but now? Pancakes.” Erik grabbed the syrup container and dumped on way more than humanly necessary, but El kept quiet, smearing a chunk of butter across his own food, a growing warmth in his chest.

_______________

**Erik:** Hey kid. I won’t be home for dinner later. Can you fend for yourself? Or I can send you money for takeout.

 **Mia:** Money please!

 **Erik:** You realize we do have a stove, right?

 **Mia:** You realize ur lucky I said please, right?

**[[ Erik sent Mia $10.00 USD ]]**

 **Mia:** Thx, bro! Have fun on ur date! :P 

**Erik:** I will. I have a boyfriend now, so when I bring him over you better be nice.

 **Mia:** Gross. I can’t imagine what’s wrong w/him that he’d wanna date you.

 **Erik:** Love you, too.

 **Mia:** ;)

Erik slipped his phone into his back pocket before pushing the cart full of boxes out to the supermarket floor. Two more hours and he was free. Those two hours went pretty quickly between stocking shelves, unloading a delivery truck, and cleaning up spills. 

At six on the dot Erik clocked out and grabbed the bag of clothes he brought to change out of his locker. As nice as he imagined El’s mother would be, he was sure she wouldn’t appreciate him coming to dinner in a sweaty polo with his name stitched in the corner.

He ducked into the bathroom to change, stopping at the sink to splash some water on his face to freshen up. He didn’t look too tired, for once. A quick spray of deodorant and one last check in the mirror and he was good to go.

El sat at the fully set table, foot tapping impatiently on the hardwood floor. He checked his phone one last time, Erik had texted just after six that he was on his way - 

There was a knock at the door, and El shoved his phone in his pocket before jumping up to answer it. He opened the door, a shy smile on his face.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” 

El held the door open, ushering Erik inside. He pulled the chair out from the table for Erik to sit, and took a seat across from him. Amber turned around from the stove, adjusting the apron tie at her neck.

“Welcome, dear! It’s so nice to finally meet you. El’s been talking about you ever since that concert his sister dragged him to. I feel like I know you already!”

El’s face fell into his hands. A few sentences from his mom and he was already mortified. This was going to be a long evening.

Erik bumped his leg against El’s under the table to get him to look up.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s really cute. I told Mia all about you too. She was begging me to shut up.”

El looked up at him through the curtain of his hair, a light blush still dotting the apples of his cheeks.

Amber set the pot of hot stew on the table, along with a loaf of fresh bread. “Don’t be shy to take seconds, there’s plenty. Jade won’t be home, she’s at Serena’s for the evening.”

Erik gave a polite nod, ladling stew into his bowl until it was almost overflowing. Amber smiled at him warmly before beginning her mom-ly interrogation of her son’s new boyfriend.

“So where do you work, Erik?”

He swallowed a mouthful of potato and dabbed broth off of his lip before responding. He mentally high fived himself for remembering his manners. “The grocery store down on 7th? It’s the only place that paid decent and didn’t mind my...look. I’ve been told my hair color is ‘very unprofessional’.”

El tilted his head to the side, trying to get a good look at Erik’s roots. “What is your natural hair color, anyway?”

Erik grinned back, pointing his spoon over at El. “That’s for me to know, and for you to never find out.”

Amber cut into their banter with a chuckle. “Well that’s very mature of you to have a steady job at your age. Are you going to school anywhere?”

Erik scratched the back of his neck, here came the part that usually turned parents against him- if they didn’t already dislike him on sight.

“Well, I work full time, and I’m in a band. We’re not big or anything yet, but we have a bid in to play the big festival next year.”

Amber looked surprised, but not upset. “Oh! Well that’s interesting. Best of luck to you! Who knows, maybe one day we’ll hear you on the radio.”

Erik almost dropped his spoon. That was the nicest thing anyone had ever said about the fact that he was in an aspiring band. No wonder El was such a sweetheart, he could see where he got it from.

After a bit more light conversation and another bowl of stew, El got up to help his mother with the dishes. She swatted him away with the dish towel. “No, no dear. You have a guest, I can handle these. But don’t let Erik leave without his leftovers!” 

Erik thanked her, and he followed El up the stairs to his room. El opened the door and flicked on the lamp on the bedside table before taking a seat on the bed. His room was clean, like really clean. Clean enough that Erik was tempted to try and sniff the shirt he had on to make sure it didn’t smell too musty.

There was a fully stocked bookshelf, a desk with a laptop next to a pile of papers, and a small stand with a tv and racks of movies and video games. Typical college student stuff. Erik made a note to check out the movies later, he bet himself he had El’s favorite type of movie pegged from what’d they’d seen in theaters over the last month.

El patted the spot next to him on the bed, crossing his legs underneath him to get comfortable.  
Erik plopped down next to him, making the bed wobble. El looked at him skeptically, arms crossed over his chest. 

“So when were you gonna tell me you’re in a band?”

Erik rested his hands on his knees and looked up at El while biting his lip. 

“I thought I already told you?”

El turned to face him and reached for Erik’s hands to lace his fingers with his own. 

“You didn’t, and that’s a pretty sexy detail to just skip over.” El let go of his hands for a moment to shift so he was now sitting behind Erik. He began to knead at his shoulders, and Erik relaxed into the touch.

“I don’t like to mention it first thing, I want people to like me for me, ya know?”

El rested his chin on Erik’s shoulder, breath tickling his ear. He wrapped his arms around Erik’s waist, hugging him close. “That’s understandable, but I think you already know that I like you. So let me guess…” His hands moved from where they were wrapped around Erik’s waist back up to his shoulders. He slowly ran his hands down Erik’s arms, fingertips dancing over lean but strong biceps. 

Goosebumps formed on Erik’s arms as El’s fingers trailed along his skin. He let his head fall back on El’s shoulder, fully giving into the feelings rushing from his head to his heart, then back again. He was enjoying this game more than he thought he should. 

El got down to his wrists and moved his hands to the hem of Erik’s shirt. “Can I?” he whispered against Erik’s ear. 

All he could manage as an answer was a nod and a thick swallow, and that was enough. El slipped his hands under Erik’s t-shirt and hands roamed over his back, shoulders, then around to his chest and down to his waist. El took mental note of every curve and plane, humming lightly as he felt Erik heat up and squirm a bit under his touch. He ran a finger over one of Erik's nipples and they both gasped. Erik at the touch, and Eleven from the metal post he felt between his fingers.

"Pierced? Naughty boy. I _like_ it."

It was too soon that he pulled his hands back and wrapped them back around Erik’s waist, as innocently as he’d started.

Erik turned to try and look at him, and when he did, lips found his. It was soft and short, but Erik had been teased to the point where he decided he wanted more. He scooted around so they were facing one another, Erik wasting no time climbing into El’s lap. His legs locked themselves around his hips, and his hands wove themselves into El’s hair, combing through it from roots to ends.

El leaned forward close enough to kiss him but didn’t. Just before diving in, he whispered, 

“You’re ripped. Gotta be a drummer.”

Erik smirked against El’s lips, grabbing a handful of that perfectly shiny hair and pulling him in. How he tasted so sweet after their savory dinner evaded Erik, but he would never be caught complaining. Kissing El was dangerous, something he saw himself becoming hopelessly addicted to much too fast.

After a few moments they broke apart, panting. El leaned back on his arms, and Erik moved to sit back on the bed. He eyed El’s disheveled shirt and hair, his flushed face, his lazy smile. He’d hardly thought the words before they were spilling out of his mouth.

“Damn it, you’re hot.”

_______________

El walked Erik out to his car as slowly as humanly possible. He knew he’d see him again in less than 24 hours, but something about how well tonight had gone made him a little sad that it was almost over.

When they got to his car Erik leaned against the door instead of getting in, hands in his pockets. “So, I’d say that went pretty well.”

El’s face broke into a smile. He’d been stressing over nothing, per the usual. The night had gone off without a hitch, and he was able to sneak in some alone time as well. 

“I’d say so too. I’m glad. I knew she’d love you. Sorry if every time you’re over she tries to feed you. That’s just...how she is. And now that she knows you take care of your sister she’ll be sending you home with leftovers on the regular.” He held out the bag of tupperware containers.

Erik opened the back door to set it down, pushing it closed with a thunk before turning his attention back to El. “Hey, I’ll never say no to free food.”

Once Erik’s hands were free El reached out and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around his waist. He placed a soft kiss to his forehead, lingering a bit longer than usual. Erik looked up at him with mischief in his eyes.

“I was extra good today. I think I deserve a little more than that.” He tilted his chin up with a pout, pleading with his eyes. 

El gave a soft giggle before leaning down, his hair tickling Erik’s cheeks. He whispered against Erik’s lips right before indulging him.

“Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.”

And with that, he threaded one hand into Erik’s hair while the other stayed at his waist as he kissed him soft and slow, savoring each second that ticked by.

When they separated, Erik was at a loss for words. He looked up into El’s adoring gaze and fell even further into the mush his mind and heart had turned into.

El was overwhelmed with emotion as well, babbling out a confession before he even realized his mouth was doing something that wasn’t kissing Erik. 

“I’m glad you asked me out. I really like being with you.”

He pulled Erik back in for a hug, holding tight like he was going to disappear.

Once he let go Erik finally found his voice, looking back to El with a fully flushed face. He scratched at the back of his neck with a lop-sided grin.

“Heh, yeah it’s really paid off, huh?

As Erik drove home he let his hand gently brush over his bottom lip, where El’s had been only minutes ago. He shook his head with a soft laugh, he was really falling fast. If he thought hanging out as friends was great, after tonight he could only begin to imagine what it would be like as a couple. His heart swelled in his chest at the thought. He couldn’t wait to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Fair warning that things get NSFW in this one towards the middle-end. If that's not your jam no worries! Next chapter will be back to tame fluff :)

Erik kicked the door shut behind him, arms full with grocery bags. As soon as the sound carried throughout the small house, a voice called out from the kitchen.

“Did you remember the ice cream this time? If not, I’ll have to take drastic measures and just sit on the floor and start screaming until you do.”

A teen girl turned from where she was seated at the table to make a face at her brother. Her hair was jet black with blue streaks, tied in a thick braid that hung halfway down her back.

“Yeah, yeah, here’s your damn ice cream. You’re lucky it was on special.” He held up the container so she could see before shoving it in the freezer.

Once he was done putting the rest of the groceries away he strode back over to the table, putting a hand on top of Mia’s head to get her attention.

“We have a guest, you know. Mind your manners.”

“If it’s one of your stupid band mates I don’t care -” She cut off when she turned around and saw Eleven smiling back at her. She flushed with embarrassment. “Oh. s-sorry.”

“That’s more like it. Mia, this is Eleven. Eleven, Mia. My little sister.” 

Mia reached out and gave El a fist bump. “So you’re the guy that Erik won’t shut up about. He was so excited when he came home from the concert that night covered in mud, it was gross.”

El laughed, shooting Erik a sly look before leaning back on the counter. “It’s nice to meet you, Mia. How was camp?” 

She fully turned to face him to continue the conversation without craning her neck. She was a little surprised at the question, why did he care? None of Erik’s friends bothered with her before, what was this guy’s deal? She swallowed her skepticism and replied with a sweet smile, totally flooring Erik. “It was really great, thanks for asking. I made some new friends.”

El gave her a dazzling smile in return. “I’m glad to hear.”

Mia was flabbergasted at his kind, quiet nature. Most of the people Erik brought home were loud and obnoxious, like him. Why the sudden interest in the literal opposite? She turned back around and continued reading her book once Erik pulled El down the hall to his room.

It was...much cleaner than El was expecting. Not that he expected Erik to be messy, but...okay he totally expected Erik to be messy. The walls were white, but there were posters taped up here and there for what he assumed were bands. There was a dresser with clothes piled on top, along with a small desk and chair. There was a laptop and a pile of sheet music on the desk, along with a few sketches. His bed was pushed up against the far wall, under the window. Erik sat on the edge and motioned for El to join him.

“So your natural hair color is black? Your sister-” Before El could finish his thought, Erik cut him off, his hands raised in surrender.

“Yeah, yeah, you got me.”

El looked at him for a moment and imagined him with black hair. “I think you’d look really good.” Before he knew he’d said it, it had already come out of his mouth. He panicked and immediately backtracked. “Not that - the blue looks really good too, it matches your eyes, I just meant-” 

Erik rested a hand on his back, gently rubbing between his shoulder blades. “Don’t worry, I know what you meant. And thanks, maybe one day I’ll actually let it grow back in. But not anytime soon, that’s for sure. It’s part of the look.” Erik’s hand slowly traveled from El’s back up into his hair, fingers tangling in his long, silky locks.

El hummed in satisfaction at the touch, and leaned in closer for more. Erik had told him before he was just like a cat, just a few head pats and he was a purring mess. It was true. Soon enough his head was resting in Erik’s lap. They stayed like that for a while, just quietly enjoying each other’s company.

Erik thought about how much he’d miss these moments once El left for school next month. He had a countdown on his phone just so he knew how many days he had left, and to make the most out of every one of them. He looked down at the sweet face pillowed on his lap, a warm, fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest.

“I could do this all day, you know? Your hair is so soft.”

A low rumble came from El’s chest and Erik looked down- he was fast asleep. Erik didn’t have the heart to move him, so he continued to play with his hair until he began to lose the feeling in his legs. He leaned down and gave El’s temple a feather-light kiss. 

“Hey babe, I gotta move my legs or they’re gonna fall off.” 

El’s eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he did was lean up for better leverage to give Erik a full kiss on the mouth. 

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

“You called me ‘babe’, it was cute. I liked it.” 

“Alright then, I’ll have to remember that.” 

El giggled and gave him another quick peck on the lips before fully sitting back up. He sat for a moment, waiting for the dizziness from sitting up too fast to fade. He glanced over to the desk on the other side of the room.

“What are the sketches for? They’re really cool. I didn’t know you could draw.”

Erik scratched at the back of his neck, embarrassed. “Oh, those aren’t anything special. The band asked for a new logo and I drew those up the other week. We still haven’t picked one.”

El stood up and took a better look at each of the designs, considering each of them. He held two out to Erik. “They’re all really good, but these two are my favorites.”

Erik took the pages and looked them over before placing them back on the desk, seperate from the rest. “I’ll take those two to practice later this week. Maybe I needed the opinion of someone who has no idea what genre of music we even play.”

El stuck his tongue out in defiance. He indeed had no idea what kind of music Erik and his band played, but he could imagine if the festival where they met gave any indication.

“Hey, don’t do that unless you intend on using it.” Erik looked at him expectantly. He knew exactly what he was doing, and if he knew El as well as he thought he did, his bet would pay off tenfold.

El tilted his head to the side innocently before jumping back on the bed, taking Erik with him. He pinned Erik down against the comforter, noses brushing as they settled.

“Oh, I _most definitely_ intend on using it.”

_______________

**A few weeks later…**

Eleven knocked on the front door, not even thirty seconds passing before Erik opened it and stepped out onto the porch, locking the door behind him. He looked troubled. Anxiety bubbled in El’s chest, all Erik had said in his text was that he wanted to meet up as soon as possible to talk about something.

Erik grabbed El’s hand and gave it a squeeze, he looked like he was ready to pass out. “Listen, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, wanna take a quick drive?”

“Yeah, sure.” El’s stomach dropped. Had he already messed things up? His anxious feelings only continued to grow, making his empty stomach ache. He got into the car, worrying his lip as he waited for Erik to start the car and get it into gear. 

Once they started moving Erik reached over for El’s hand, intertwining their fingers. El’s fears ebbed a bit, but didn’t leave just yet.

“So, you go back to school in two weeks.”

It wasn’t so much a question, just a stated fact. El stayed quiet, watching Erik wrestle internally with whatever was plaguing his mind.

“You want to stay together, right? This isn’t just a summer thing? Because when I asked you I meant for real, I can handle the distance…” Erik began to babble, his nervousness spilling out into the empty air of the car cabin.

El squeezed his hand tight before he moved it to shift. El left his hand open, palm up, an invitation for when his hand was no longer busy.

“Of course I do. Campus is only a few hours away, it’s not a bad drive. I already planned on coming home half the time anyway, and I’d be way more motivated to come back as often as I could now.” He turned and gave Erik a reassuring smile.

Erik let out a relieved sigh, letting his head fall back to hit the headrest. “Good, cause it would have sucked to have this awesome summer and then just... Yeah, we’ll make it work. I’ll come and see you too when I can. Hang out with all the nerds.”

El elbowed him lightly. “Hey, maybe you’ll really like it there. You could always enroll too, you know. It’s not too late.”

Erik considered for a moment, fingers drumming idly on the steering wheel. “Maybe not me, but definitely Mia. She tries to hide it but she’s really smart. Way smarter than me. I’m really proud of her.” He shook his head and turned to look over at El. 

“Enough of the heavy, wanna go get way too much fast food and pass out on the sofa watching a terrible movie?”

El sighed dramatically beside him, smiling sweetly with a hand over his heart and the other draped across his forehead, as if feeling faint.

“A man after my own heart. And arteries.”

_______________

**A month and a half later...**

Erik pulled into an empty parking spot in front of the large brick dorm building. He double checked the number on the building to make sure he was in the right place. All of these buildings looked the same. He made sure to hang his visitor’s pass on the rearview mirror just like Amber told him, he definitely didn’t want to have to deal with campus police, or have his car towed.

He grabbed the small bouquet of fresh flowers and the care package Amber had sent him with out of the front seat and sent El a quick text. 

**Erik:** Hypothetical question. If you were on campus right now where would you be

**El:** wait, Erik...

**Erik:** just answer the question

**El:** I’m in the library

**Erik:** okay great where is that in reference to your dorm

**El:** stay put, give me like 5 minutes :)

Erik shoved his phone into his back pocket and placed his armful of gifts on the grass. He leaned against the closest tree, arms folded over his chest as he looked out over what he could see of the campus. There were a lot of trees, it almost made the place feel kind of secluded. He looked around at all of the bright red brick buildings, manicured grass lawns, and pristine flower beds done up in the school’s colors. He made a mental note to bring this place up to Mia again when he got home.

It wasn’t long before he saw El coming up the path, smile as bright and intense as the late summer sun. As soon as he saw Erik he broke into a jog.

Erik stepped away from the tree and stood with his arms wide, more than ready for the oncoming hug. El leapt into his arms, almost knocking him over. They were both laughing, happy to be reunited after the few weeks they’d been apart. El pulled back far enough to give Erik a long overdue kiss. 

“I missed you so much.” 

“Missed you too. So much that I switched shifts and got today and the rest of the weekend off. I figured I’d come up to surprise you. Oh, here!” Erik reached down and handed El the bouquet of flowers. “Something pretty for my babe.” 

El stuck his face in the flowers and took a deep breath, enjoying their scent. “They’re beautiful, but not as much as you.” He grabbed Erik’s hand and motioned over to the dorm building. “Let’s go. I can give you the tour once you’re settled. I don’t have class until later.” 

Erik nodded and scooped up his stuff before following El into the building. It was nice, nicer than Erik imagined a dorm would be. For what people paid to go here, he was glad it looked this well-maintained. Another thing to add to the list to tell Mia about once he was back home.

After a few stairs and another locked door, (decent security, another plus.) they arrived in front of El’s door. It was a larger room than he was expecting, but it was still small. There was a desk across from the twin-sized bed, a corkboard hung above the desk with takeout menus and class schedules pinned, along with one of the doodles Erik had drawn on a napkin on one of their dates. There was a small bookshelf against the wall by the foot of the bed, holding academic books as well as fiction. 

El sat the box down in the middle of the room, reaching over to dig around in his desk for scissors to open it.

“You really didn’t have to do this, I know you’re saving up for Mia’s tuition…”

Erik handed him his pocket knife and shrugged. “It’s nothing major, just some stuff to remind you of home. Amber threw a few things in there too, so I can’t take all the credit.”

El’s heart skipped a beat as soon as he opened the box. Right on top was a picture frame. It was the selfie El had taken of them the night they met. Their drenched and muddy faces grinned back at him, he remembered that night like it was yesterday. He picked the frame up and turned it over in his hands, looking up at Erik with a heart-melting smile.

“Erik, I love this. I have the perfect place for it, too.”

“Open the back, I left something else in there.”

El carefully opened the back of the frame to find a piece of paper wedged between the backing and the photo. He took it out and unfolded it, finding a handwritten note.

_Eleven,_

_Sorry in advance if this gets away from me, but you can deal with it. Hah. I just wanted to write this to let you know how awesome this past summer with you has been. And the fact that I get to keep spending time with you? Fuckin’ unbelievable. You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met, your sense of humor kills me, and you have a surprisingly decent taste in movies. All that, and you’re pretty damn hot._

_I guess what I’m trying to say with all this is thank you. Thank you for choosing me, for putting up with my nonsense, and for being the best boyfriend I could have ever asked for. I have a feeling that as long as I’m with you, everything is going to work out just fine._

_Love you, babe._

_-Erik_

El wiped a stray tear from his cheek and motioned for Erik to come over for a hug. He buried his face in Erik’s shoulder, his words muffled.

“For an aspiring rock star you’re pretty cheesy.”

Erik pulled back and gave El a playful side-eye before reaching up under his arms to tickle him.

“Hey, talking about your feelings is metal as fuck.”

El dug through the rest of the box, finding the usual things from his mother. A few new pairs of socks, a pack of his favorite cookies, some deodorant, and a card with money for groceries. Erik had slipped in a few things as well, one of his sweatshirts (El loved to wear them while he was away, they smelled good), another pack of his favorite cookies, and an empty journal with a pack of colored pens. He pulled out the last thing and gave Erik a questioning look.

"What's this for?" 

"Well, I know we text every day, but I thought this would be a fun way to fight the distance a little. You write in it when you want to tell me something. Then, when we see each other we trade. Then I'll write in it, and I'll get to read what you wrote."

El grinned. "I love it. I'm gonna write the dumbest stuff in here, you're going to regret this."

"No way. What you consider dumb I think is adorable."

El reached back into his desk for a moment, hiding whatever he pulled out of the drawer behind his back. “I actually have something for you too.”

He held his open palm out to Erik, in it rested a small woven bracelet. It was different shades of blue and purple woven in a chevron pattern, just like the kind Mia came home with from camp. Erik took it and held it up, checking out the pattern.

“This is awesome, El. Did you make this? I didn’t know you were into arts and crafts.” 

El chuckled, a light blush on his face. “I’m not, the exact opposite actually. My friend Gemma showed me how to make them last week over lunch. I noticed you always wear a bunch of cool bracelets, and I wanted to give you something to think of me.”

Erik held his wrist out to El. “Tie it on for me?”

It took him a few tries to get it tight enough, but it soon sat nicely on his wrist along with the others. He brought it up to his mouth and gave it a kiss. “I love it. And I love you.”

They walked around campus sipping coffee, hands intertwined. Eleven pulled Erik over toward a bench in the shade, overlooking the expansive quad. It was still warm, so there were plenty of people out playing frisbee, reading, and just relaxing in the fading sunshine.

“This place is pretty nice. And you’re sure tuition isn’t crazy expensive?”

“Yeah, it’s a state school. And with Mia’s grades she’ll get scholarships for sure.”

“Did you-”

“Already put in a good word at the science department? Maybe.”

“Eleven. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Listen, your family is really important to you, so it’s important to me too. It was nothing, that prof loves me. She’s really looking forward to meeting Mia.”

Erik leaned his head on El’s shoulder. “You’re too good to me.”

El leaned over to kiss the top of his head. “It’s what you’ve always deserved.”

_______________

The next day El awoke to a knock at his door. Erik was already awake, sketching something at the desk. He was still in his sleep shorts, hair unkempt and falling in his eyes. El took a moment to admire him before rolling out of bed, taking most of the blankets with him.

He poked his head out of the door, no one was around. Before shutting it he caught a glimpse of something that had been taped to his door. He tugged the fluorescent flyer down and brought it back in with him. 

El’s classmates had organized and invited him to a house party that night. He didn’t often go unless his friends dragged him along, but with Erik here for the weekend he thought it might be a fun way for him to get to know some of his friends.

El slapped the flyer down on the desk, startling Erik so much he almost tossed his pen across the room. He looked up at El with fake annoyance, sticking his tongue out.

“Wanna go? If it’s not your scene we can stay in and get takeout. Either way I’m just happy to spend time with you.”

Erik gave the flyer a once over before tossing it in the trash bin. “Hell yeah, let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a good rager.”

El wrapped his arms around Erik from behind, burying his head in the crook of Erik’s neck. He took a deep breath, he smelled like deodorant and a little leftover musk. El pulled back a little, tipping the chair off of its front legs. “Come back to bed. We can get breakfast in a bit.”

Erik looked up at him, his eyes narrowing. “El, it’s nine AM.”

“And in college time that means we should still be asleep. C’mon. You’ll miss it when you’re back at home.”

Damn him, he was so right. Might as well take advantage while he could.

_______________

As the sun began to set Erik and Eleven walked up the pathway to a large house on the outskirts of campus. Before El could knock on the door it swung open, and they were ushered inside.

It was dimly lit save for a few party lights that dotted the walls and floor with color. El recognized most of his classmates, waving hello as they made their way to the kitchen.

El introduced Erik to anyone who stopped to greet them. As soon as they stepped foot in the kitchen, a plastic red cup was pushed into each of their hands. Erik took a sniff before taking a sip, his tongue burning as soon as he did. He bit back a cough and looked at Eleven skeptically.

“What is this?”

El laughed, taking a sip of his own and pulling a face. “No idea. Drink it slow and you’ll be fine.”

Erik swung an arm across El’s shoulders, leaning into his side. He took a hearty swig of his drink, fighting back the urge to cough as the alcohol burned his throat. “Don’t worry about me, just because I didn’t go to school doesn’t mean I don’t know how to party. Find me on the chandelier by the end of the night.” He gave El a sly wink before he stood up on his tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

As they made their way back out to the main room, a few people called out to El from the sofa.

“Hey, El! Up for some rockband? We need a drummer!”

Erik threw El a cocky smile before walking over to the setup. He introduced himself and sat down in front of the plastic drum kit.

“I got this.”

They handed Erik the sticks, and El gave them a wink. He sat behind Erik on the sofa, nestled between his friends. This was sure to be interesting. They cycled through the songs until Erik stopped on one.

“Are you sure, dude? That song’s kinda intense.”

El leaned over Erik’s shoulder, giving the guy a loaded glare. His words came out in a bit of a jumble, alcohol already buzzing around in his head.

“He’s a professional, Scott. He can handle it. Trust me.”

He shrugged and they started the song, Erik quickly proving he was indeed a professional. Even half a drink deep he was hitting every beat perfectly, like he knew the song by heart. A small group soon formed behind the sofa, cheering them on as they crushed the song.

El sat back and watched in amazement and some form of mounting attraction. Why was this hot? Did he have to twirl the stick like that? Show off. He got up to grab them drink refills, watching Erik until he turned the corner and was out of sight.

The song finished, and the small crowd they had gathered clapped and cheered. They’d totally nailed it. The guy on guitar, Scott, leaned over to give him a high five.

“Holy shit, do you play? You have to play.”

Erik laughed, suddenly a little bashful. He wasn’t used to all of the compliments. “Yeah, I’m in a band.”

“Well let us know when you play, we’ll be there, dude! You’re amazing!” 

Erik stifled another embarrassed giggle and gave a thumbs-up to his new friend. Maybe fitting in with El’s friends was going to be easier than he thought. He promised them he’d come back and do a song later, getting up to look for Eleven. He quickly spotted him over by the stairs, hanging out against the wall. He sauntered over and placed a hand next to his head, leaning in close.

“Hey there, sexy. Come here often?”

“Mmm, sometimes,” El hummed. He leaned in close, so he could talk into Erik’s ear without having to shout. “Your skills are pretty hot.”

Erik raised an eyebrow, the hand not holding his drink moved to rest on El’s chest. He tipped his chin up so their noses brushed.

“Is that so?”

El wrapped his arm around Erik’s waist, holding him hostage against his chest. He looked into those mischievous eyes and began to think of all the things he wanted to do to wipe the playful smirk off Erik’s face, and replace it with something far more indecent. 

For now a kiss was enough, but not for long. He released Erik and he took El’s hand, leading him out to the middle of the room where a group had started dancing. El starting shaking his head, his hair swishing from side to side.

“Ohhh no. You don’t wanna see me dance. I can promise you that.”

Erik ignored his protests and started to move to the music. He was surprisingly graceful, even in his clunky sneakers. Before El could process what was happening Erik turned around, bent over, and pressed his ass into El's hips, his back arched as he slowly stood back up, giving a sly smile over his shoulder. He grabbed El's hands and put them on his hips.

Oh, _this_ kind of dancing. This he could do. He stuck his thumbs through Erik's belt loops and swayed in time with him, enjoying the pressure of Erik’s body against his own. His suggestive thoughts were back with a vengeance, especially with how Erik's jeans fit perfectly on his tight little ass- 

Before he could chicken out and with liquid courage surging through his veins, El reached down and grabbed a handful of that very same ass. 

Erik laughed and spun around, wrapping one arm loosely around El's neck. He reached back with the other and returned the favor with a grin, sliding his other hand into El’s back pocket.

“Handsy tonight. I like it.”

All El could manage in return was a gruff laugh and a wicked smile. That settled it, he had plans tonight. And those plans involved significantly less clothing. But first, he intended on getting Erik as riled up as possible while they were still in public. El leaned forward and moved like he was going in for a kiss, but instead full on bit Erik’s bottom lip, pulling back a little bit before letting go. 

Erik looked back at him stunned, a blush darkening his already alcohol-flushed face.

“Oh, game _on_.”

They found themselves stashed into a dark corner of the hallway, where no one would pay them any mind. Erik’s back was firmly pressed against the wall, El’s hands halfway up his shirt. Erik fought back with a passionate ferocity, nipping at El’s lip a little too hard. He apologized with a softer kiss and a swipe of his tongue. He grabbed a handful of El’s hair at the base of his neck and gave it a healthy tug, a throaty moan escaping El’s mouth as his head tipped back into the pull. Erik slipped his leg between El’s, and if they got any closer Erik imagined he’d probably end up going through the wall.

“We should-”

“Yeah.”

El took a step back so Erik was freed. He straightened his rumpled shirt and ran a hand through his hair, presentable enough.

El took Erik’s hand and began to weave his way through the hall lined with other couples who had the same idea. He waved goodbye to the few friends he saw before reaching the door. 

The night air was cool and refreshing compared to the hot, stagnant air of the party. It was a little sobering, but not much. Hands still joined, they stumbled out into the night.

“Don’t walk so fast. My feet feel weird.”

“What do you mean they feel weird?”

“Y’know, just it’s weird we have feet.”

El shook his head and tugged Erik along until they soon arrived back at his dorm. He hastily swiped his student ID through the card reader, and they were in. 

El had never been so grateful that he had sprung for the single occupant dorm room as he flung open the door and tossed his keys on the desk. He used his free hand to push a wobbly Erik onto his bed. He landed with a soft plunk, the mattress shaking slightly under the new weight. It shook again when El sunk a knee onto the bed beside him, laying down to face Erik.

Before jumping him, El took a moment to really appreciate the man in front of him. He brushed a stray hair out of Erik’s eyes before lightly cupping his cheek, running his thumb over his cheekbone. 

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

Erik’s eyes got a little watery before he pushed forward to kiss the compliment right out of El’s mouth. He always was better at showing than telling, and now was no different. He shifted so he was straddling El, hunched down as to only break their kiss as briefly as possible. 

El’s hands ghosted up Erik sides, up under his shirt. He pushed the hem up, allowing cold hands to roam over warm skin.

Erik groaned at the touch and ground his hips against El’s. He took the hint and sat up to pull his shirt over his head and toss it to the floor.

El was pretty sure it happened in real time, but for some reason he saw it in slow motion - which didn’t do any favors for his current state. He reached up to flick the metal posts that stuck through Erik’s nipples, a smirk on his face.

“I always forget about these, it’s like a sexy surprise every time.”

“That just means you don’t see me without a shirt enough. Maybe I’ll have to start sending you reminders.”

The threat lingered in the air between them until he leaned back down to reclaim El’s mouth. One hand tangled in his hair, tugging gently at the small knots that had formed while the other slid down between them to assess their situation. His hand cupped the growing bulge in El’s pants with a squeeze, causing him to push up against Erik’s hand with a groan. Erik moved to kiss along his jaw and down his neck, leaving a mark or two as he went for good measure.

El continued to writhe and whine under him, becoming less and less patient.

Erik sat up and gave him a murderous grin before pushing El’s shirt up to his armpits. He began to kiss down his chest, slow as sin, glancing up every few times to measure his torture. By the time he got down to the waistband of El’s pants he was practically quivering.

El reached down to snap the button open, but Erik swatted his hand away before he could.

“Ah-ah, I got it. Don’t worry, it’ll be worth all the teasing. I promise.” He scooted up to give El a reassuring kiss before returning to the task at hand. He undid the button and El lifted his hips to help Erik slide his pants off. 

There was little left to the imagination as El’s hard-on fought against his boxer briefs. He slipped a thumb under the waistband, brushing it over the tip of El’s dick.

He glared down at Erik, lips curled into a snarl. “Erik I swear to fuck if you don’t take these off _now_ I will make you eat them.”

Erik choked down a laugh and fulfilled El’s demands, pulling them down. Erik had felt what El was packing through denim many a time over the last few weeks before he left for school during heated makeout sessions, but no amount of dry humping could have prepared him for what he saw. 

“Well that’s…that’s just fucking ridiculous.”

Slightly mortified and mostly turned on beyond belief, he leaned down and took just the head of El’s dick into his mouth, running his tongue along the underside. His left hand loosely held the base, grip tightening as he slowly took more and more into his mouth. He felt the tip hit the back of his throat and pulled back with a hum, making El shudder. He licked at him playfully once more before going back down, slowly working into a rhythm.

His nails dug into El’s hips as El gripped blindly at Erik’s hair, pulling lightly to urge him on.

Breathless, El looked down and almost lost it right then and there. Erik was looking back up at him with half-lidded eyes, his eyeliner smeared and smudged. His hair was mussed, bangs falling into his eyes. He looked wrecked.

El let his head fall back onto the pillow and relished in the feeling of the mounting pressure slowly building inside of him.

Erik could tell he was getting closer by the way his movements became more desperate, needy. The tugs in his hair began to sting just a little, but not enough to be unpleasant. He liked the feeling, it let him know he was doing a good job. Something about making that angelic face cry out for _him_...it didn’t seem real.

El’s pleas came out between gasps, his voice strangling into an incoherent moan as he unraveled completely.

Erik felt the bitter taste in his mouth, drinking it down without a second thought. He swiped his tongue over the tip one last time, just to make sure he'd gotten it all before leaning back. He sat up and wiped his hand across his mouth with a smirk. Easy cleanup.

El reached out for him with tired grabby hands. “C’mere.”

Erik stood up for a moment and ditched his pants before crawling back into bed and into his smitten boyfriend’s waiting arms.

El pulled him close against his chest, nuzzling into Erik’s mussed hair. His hands quickly began to roam, finding something very clearly straining to be freed. Erik squirmed as El traced along the outline of him with a fingertip over the fabric of his boxers. He leaned down to whisper in Erik’s ear, voice low.

“Would you like some help with that?”

Already breathless from the touch, Erik nodded. “Please.”

El took his time, payback for earlier. He continued to tease Erik through the thin fabric, only feeling a little guilty at the sounds he began to make. Something about reducing his badass of a boyfriend into a whining mess was just too good to pass up.

Erik reached down to try and tear the remainder of his clothing off, but El stopped him before he could.

“Let me.”

Erik let his eyes fall shut and relinquished control. He let El push the waistband down, and he kicked the rest off, leaving them crumpled somewhere at the foot of the bed. As soon as El started actually touching him, he let his head fall back onto El’s shoulder. He was featherlight at first, but quickly grew more firm and purposeful.

El whispered sweet nothings into his ear as he worked, doing his best to keep a steady pace without going overboard too quickly. As much as he wanted to finish him off, he wanted it to last a bit, to be worth it.

And it was. Erik pushed back into El as he squirmed, his breaths became ragged as he picked up the pace. El bit down on Erik’s neck and tightened his grip, and that was all it took to end him, spilling out into El’s hand.

His breathing heavy, Erik gently turned his head, searching for El’s lips. He quickly found them, expressing his gratitude with a kiss. 

El carefully untangled himself and went to wash his hands, grabbing tissues to help clean up any extra mess. Once he returned to bed, Erik wasted no time and wrapped his arms around Eleven, resting his head on his chest.

“You make a really good pillow.”

El tilted his head down to place a gentle kiss to Erik’s forehead before drifting off.

“You make a really good boyfriend.”

_______________

Erik woke up half-naked and snuggled against El’s side. The sun had begun to stream through the window, falling in stripes across the blankets. He contemplated getting up to close the blinds, but the arm that tightened around his side had other plans. He could get used to this, waking up next to El every morning.

One night of intimacy and he was already hearing wedding bells. He shook his head. Get it together, Erik.

El turned to face him, sleepy blue eyes half-lidded and gazing at him like he was the damn sun.

“G’morning,” El mumbled, pressing a kiss to Erik’s forehead. He reached his hand up to his mouth before licking his thumb and rubbing it across Erik’s cheek.

“Did you just spit-wash my face?!”

“Mhmm. ‘S not good to sleep in your makeup. Bad for your skin.”

“Says who? How do you know this?”

El covered his mouth as he yawned, and propped his head up with his arm.

“I’ve heard Jade complaining enough in the morning when she forgets to wash her face.”

Before Erik could think about what he was about to say his lovestruck, monogamy-hungry brain took over. 

“Do you think you could ever share a bathroom with me?”

Eleven was taken aback for a moment. He didn’t realize Erik had already started thinking that far ahead, it was comforting. He really was in this for real. He tightened his grip on Erik’s waist and buried his head into the crook of his neck.

“If it means I get to see you walk around in a towel and take showers together, oh yeah.”

Erik’s heart basked in the love and attention, he’d never been loved quite like this before. It was exhilarating, stealing the breath right from his chest. He felt like he could take on the world and then some. He tilted El’s chin up with a single finger, searching for a kiss. El quickly obliged him.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, and your breath is questionable at best. Brush teeth then shower? We can walk down to that coffee place I was telling you about.”

Erik put a hand over his mouth with a guilty smile.

“Sounds like a plan.”

The bathroom was surprisingly empty for a Sunday morning, it still must have been early enough most were still sleeping off hangovers. El walked over to a shower stall and pulled the curtain back, starting the water. He stuck his hand in until it was warm enough, then held the curtain out and motioned Erik to get in.

“For me? Aw, you shouldn’t have.” He tossed his towel on the rack and stepped into the hot water.

El did the same and stepped in behind him, closing the curtain. Erik spun around, wet hair stuck to his forehead.

“It’s not _just_ for you.”

“Can’t get enough of me, huh?”

El hugged him from behind and rested his chin on Erik’s shoulder. 

“Mmm, never.” 

El reached over to grab his shampoo and lathered it up in his hands. He stepped back so they were just out of the water, and El began to massage his hands through Erik’s hair. 

“That’s color-safe, right?”

El reached over to hand him the bottle, and it was indeed color-safe.

“You act like I don’t think about these things.”

Erik turned around to face him hair half-sudsed, and gave him a chaste kiss.

“I’m just giving you a hard time. You’re really sweet and I appreciate it.”

He turned back around and let El continue. Erik let his head loll back, the fingers digging their way through his hair and against his scalp felt heavenly. Once El was done he stepped into the water to rinse.

El stood back and his brain went into slow motion again. He bit his lip watching Erik tilt his head back into the water, the suds running down his chest, stomach, legs... He snapped back to reality when Erik started talking to him.

“Hey, you’re up.”

Boy was he. They switched places and El got his washcloth wet, lathering soap until the suds were running down his arms. He motioned for Erik to turn around, and he did as he was told.

El ran the washcloth across his shoulder blades and down his back, admiring the tattoo that wrapped around from the front of his shoulder back to the blade. It was a black bird, with its talons out. 

“Does this one have a meaning?” he asked. Erik turned his head and glanced over his shoulder.

“I’ll tell you over breakfast?” The last thing he wanted to do while his cute boyfriend was cleaning him up in the shower was think about a tattoo he got for his _sister_.

El continued to wash down Erik’s hips, running his hands over them a few more times than he needed to under the guise of ‘making sure he was clean.’ His self control held on long enough to only pinch his ass once, and he handed the washcloth over so Erik could finish up.

_______________

They settled into a small table in front of the large window, El basking in the morning sun like a cat. He took a long sip of his hot tea, looking out at the quiet street. A few people were out running or walking their dogs, but it was mostly empty. College towns really were like ghost towns before noon. Huh.

Erik set his coffee cup down and leaned back in his chair, contemplating something. After a few moments he sat up again, his hands clutching the warm cup in front of him.

“So, your question from earlier. Most of the ink on me doesn’t really have a special meaning, but the bird is the one that does.”

Erik told him it was for Mia. When they were younger and moving between foster homes, they used to pretend they were birds so they could fly away and be free. They could go wherever they wanted on their own time. 

As soon as he turned eighteen and got custody of Mia who was just four years younger, he went from working part time to full time and started to rent the small house they lived in now. Once he’d saved up enough he went to the tattoo parlor and got the bird as a symbol of their journey, and that they’d made it out okay, together.

El felt sad that Erik and Mia hadn’t had the greatest of childhoods when his had been such a stark, picturesque difference. But the fact that Erik was hell-bent on making life as good as possible for his little sister made El love him all the more. Underneath all of the physical, cosmetic things about Erik that would make others judge him on the spot, he was incredibly sweet, hardworking, and an all-around amazing person. 

El smiled to himself. He was really lucky they’d met, and he wouldn’t let himself forget it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after El and Erik met at the festival, now Erik's band is actually playing it! A huuuge shout out to Pandolphin for sharing their lovely ocs with me for the band members! I hope you love them as much as I do.

**The next year…**

El was back home for the summer break, about to head into his junior year at the university. Erik had gotten a promotion at the grocery store, and was now managing the stockroom. The extra money was really helpful, and between his saving and Mia’s incredible grades, her schooling was covered. Now anything else he saved could go towards his future with his band, and with Eleven.

Erik’s band had won their bid to play at the festival. He excitedly pointed out their name on the poster- down by the bottom, but still impressive. Even Mia had given him a thumbs up. 

Which brought up a question Erik was a little scared to ask. He knew when Eleven had gone to the festival last year when they’d met, he’d gone only because Jade had dragged him along. He really wanted El to be there to see him play, but he also didn’t want to force him to go to something he wouldn’t enjoy.

He stood before Eleven in his kitchen and tugged at his shirt collar nervously, unnecessarily clearing his throat before speaking.

“So, uh, I know it’s close to our anniversary, but I wanted to ask you to come with me to the festival this year. I know it wasn’t really your scene when we met, but since I’m actually playing this year I can get you and Jade in for free. But don’t feel like you have to!” Erik said, holding his hands up in surrender. 

El put his hands on Erik’s shoulders, his soft smile reassuring.

“Of course I’ll be there. Gotta cheer my boyfriend on.” 

Erik’s face broke into a grin, even after a year the title still made his heart flutter.

El laughed and pulled him in for a hug. Erik stood on his tiptoes so he could nuzzle his face into the crook of El’s neck. He took a deep breath, relaxing into the familiar smell.

“Thank you, it means a lot.” He pulled back and looked at El with a smirk. “Speaking of the band...I sort of told them we could meet up for lunch later. I can always tell them you’re busy or something if you don’t wanna. They’re nice, I promise. Or at least they will be to you.”

El thought for a moment, it was odd that him and Erik had been together for a whole year and he hadn’t met his band, at least in its entirety. He shrugged, now seemed like a good a time as any. He gave Erik a kiss to the forehead.

“Sure, sounds fun.”

_______________

They pulled up to the diner a few minutes late, as usual for Erik. He got out and took El’s hand, putting on his best brave face. His bandmates had teased him endlessly about having a boyfriend but being too scared to introduce him to the band. He’d received endless chides and jokes about how he was ‘embarrassed of them’ and that El was perhaps ‘imaginary’. This would be fine. He could handle a little roasting in front of El. Yeah.

He spotted them immediately after walking in, it was kind of hard to miss three punk kids crammed into a booth. They all waved from their seats when they noticed Erik walk in.

A guy around the same build as Erik, maybe a little bigger immediately ran over and picked him up in a bone-crushing hug.

“Erik! It’s been too long, man.”

“It’s been...a week since last practice, Ace,” Erik choked out, the air slowly being squeezed from his lungs. Ace set him down with a grin.

“Yeah, but that’s not really hanging out, that’s _work_. And oh, who’s this?” He reached out to shake El’s hand, but faked him out and pulled him in for a hug as well.

“Nice to finally meet ya, El. You’ve really set this one straight.”

El laughed into the hug, returning it the best he could. “It’s nice to meet you too, Erik talks about you guys all the time.”

“Well that’s good to know, because he certainly tells us everything about you. I feel like I already know you. Here, have a seat.” A taller woman spoke from the booth, patting the seat beside her. El slid in and got settled, shaking her hand.

“Zill, nice to finally meet you. Whenever Erik has anything homemade in his fridge, you can guarantee it was from me.”

El smiled, Erik had mentioned Zill was a fabulous cook, and he’d sampled many of her dishes over the past year, all of them delicious.

“I’ve loved everything I’ve had so far, thank you.”

Erik settled into the booth beside El and grabbed a menu. He pointed over to the last person, a quiet girl sitting by the window. She gave a sweet smile and a little wave in greeting. “That’s Sumomo, but you can call her Sumo if you’d like. She’s our lead vocal and master keyboardist. Most talented in the band after me, of course.”

“Hey!” Ace swatted him across the table with his own menu. “You’re so full of shit and you know it.” Erik swatted him back, sitting back down when Sumomo gave him a stern look.

They both shrunk back, apologizing in unison. “...Sorry mom.”

She laughed and gave Erik a warning look before signing. ‘I have plenty of dirt on you, watch it.’

Erik visibly shivered, that she did. He knew El would hear those stories soon enough, his band had been all too eager to meet him so they could share their collective embarrassing Erik moments.

The ordered, chatting idly while waiting for the food to arrive. Erik sat back and watched El with a smile, he was getting along swimmingly just like he knew he would.

_______________

The day of the festival had come quickly, and Erik was practically buzzing with excitement the entire morning leading up to it.

They arrived at the back entrance for artists, this was different. They were ushered in through a guarded gate, it made El feel kind of important. El and Jade hopped out of the van and helped Erik unload his drum kit, setting it aside with the rest of their band’s gear. Erik handed them each a fluorescent plastic wristband with a smirk.

“VIPs, you’re welcome.”

Jade took hers with a smile and fastened it around her wrist. “Thanks, I owe you a beer.”

Erik reached over to help Eleven fasten his on, then leaned in to give him a kiss before running backstage. 

“I’ll find you later!” He called over his shoulder.

After they’d walked around the grounds, ate overpriced junk food, and downed an equally overpriced beer, it was just about time for Erik’s band to go on. El squeezed his way through the decent crowd that had begun to gather until he made it to the front of the small stage. Jade bumped his shoulder in greeting and moved over a bit to give him some room.

“So how’s it feel, dating a rock star?”

El elbowed her as she stuck her tongue out in return.

Then Sumomo, Ace, and Zill ran out on stage, picking up their instruments and looking out to the crowd with waves and smiles. El had to stand up on his toes a bit to see Erik climb into the drum kit setup in the back. Their eyes met for a moment, had he seen him?

Erik’s smile was so bright he lit up the entire stage. He’d seen him alright.

Ace leaned into his microphone with a nod from Sumo. 

"What's up everybody? We're Victimizer, and we're here to tear it up." Sumo then turned and pointed at Erik, and El heard the click of drumsticks as they counted off into their first song.

Dating Erik didn’t change El’s opinion on music genres too much, he still thought most of what Erik called ‘post-hardcore’ (don’t call it anything else, he’ll correct you.) was just noise with a rhythm, but he’d support Erik no matter how noisy his career choices were.

This song actually had a pretty good beat, and with Jade jumping around beside him it didn’t take El long to get into it and jump around too. It felt nice to just let it all go and let the music take over for a bit.

El did have to admit, watching Erik play his heart out was almost enchanting. Even though he was toward the back of the stage, he was by far the most fun to watch. He was constantly moving, his whole body thrown into every beat he made. It almost looked like a perfectly choreographed dance that El could never hope to understand, but it was fascinating all the same. That, and the fact that his shirt was sleeveless definitely helped.

After the song was finished, Erik stood up from his setup, grabbed his microphone, and began to walk to the front of the stage. Before he spoke he wiped sweaty bangs from his eyes with a grin. El was fixated. 

“Hey, I’m Erik, I hide in the back in my drum pit. They stick me back there because I’ve been told I’m _‘distracting’_. He gave a suggestive wink with a hand on his hip, earning some hoots and hollers from the crowd. Ace snorted. _Show off_.

“This next one is a cover. I’d like to dedicate this one to someone special, my boyfriend.” 

He zeroed in on El, a look of complete adoration on his face. 

“He’s right in the front, he’s so supportive of my bullshit. Always has been. Everyone say hi to El.”

The crowd and the band yelled “Hi El!” in unison. That was weird. Everyone was staring at him. El giggled and waved from where he stood at the barrier, a furious blush spreading across his face.

“Heh, happy anniversary, babe. Love you.”

There was that smile again, and this time El’s matched. In fact, he hadn’t stopped smiling since the band had started playing.

Erik high fived Sumo and Ace before climbing back into his set, counting off the song. 

“One, two, three, four!”

They launched into a familiar, energetic beginning. El’s foot immediately started tapping, his head bobbing along with the tempo. As soon as he heard the opening line, a giant grin broke across his face. 

_“Hanging out behind the club on the weekend…”_

Jade bumped his elbow with her own and they linked arms, jumping around with everyone else. When they got to the chorus, he chanted along with the crowd.

_“Because I fell in love with the boy at the rock show. He said what, and I told him that I didn’t know. He’s so cool I’m gonna sneak in through his window. Everything’s better when he’s around, I can’t wait till his parents go out of town, I fell in love with the boy at the rock show.”_

El heard Erik singing the harmonies and knew they were just for him. Inexplicable, joyful feelings bubbled up from his chest, resulting in sing-song laughter as he jumped around to the song. Their song.

_“I’ll never...forget you.”_

The song came to a close and El hooted and hollered while pumping his fist in the air. He never imagined he’d get this into a concert, but he also never imagined he’d have a song specifically performed for him. One of the perks of dating a musician.

They had one more song left, Ace introducing the band one last time before they launched into it. The tempo was so fast he had a hard time believing Erik only had four limbs to work with. It sounded like he needed an extra set of arms to drive the beat, but there he was, flailing away and sounding flawless.

As their last song came to a close, Erik let a short but impressive drum solo rip, so much so that even Jade turned to look at El with her eyebrow raised.

“That’s my boyfriend!!” He shouted, erupting into giggles. 

After the final cymbal crash, Erik hopped up on his seat and waved to the cheering crowd before running to jump down between the stage and the barrier. He ran over to El drenched in sweat, eyeliner running down his cheeks. 

His beautiful, talented mess.

He grabbed El by the shoulders and pulled him in for a sloppy kiss. The crowd around them broke into cheers, Jade laughing her ass off beside them. Erik was so dramatic, some things never changed. After they parted, Erik rested his forehead against El’s for a moment.

“Thank you. For everything. I wouldn’t be here without your support. Catch you at the food trucks? I’m starving.” 

El gave him one last quick peck on the nose before he pulled away. He gave him a thumbs up as Erik climbed back on stage to help the band pack up. A group of girls turned to El, giggling.

"Oh my god, that was so cute. I hope you guys get married."

El gave them a shy smile and followed Jade through the dispersing crowd.

_______________

When Erik caught up to them he very gratefully took the french fries and beer El handed him.

“Thanks, babe. You’re the best. Oh, and I brought you a present!” He leaned over and motioned for El to take the t-shirt that was slung over his shoulder. “A gift from the band.”

On the front was their band’s logo that Erik had designed, and when he turned it around he almost choked on laughter. Across the back it read, “I prefer the drummer”.

“You...would,” he said between giggles. 

“Hey, gotta claim you so everyone knows you’re _mine_ ,” he said with a wicked grin.

“I think you did that when you proclaimed your love in front of the entire crowd.”

“Hey, punks can fall in love!” he said, dunking a chicken strip before shoving it into his mouth. Jade used Erik’s shoulder as an armrest, damn her heeled boots. She tilted her head, ponytail swishing against his back.

“I never expected you to end up with my little brother. But if I’m being completely honest, I’m glad it’s you. You compliment each other well, I think.”

Erik stepped away and saluted, his beer sloshing over a little. “It’s an honor, ma’am”

“And now I’m going to kick your ass.” 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less…..ma’am.”

He quickly shoved his beer at El and took off before Jade could punch him. He snuck around back behind them, waiting to pounce on Eleven. Jade turned to glare at him, 100% aware of what was about to happen. She turned back to El, rolling her eyes.

“And you love that man?”

Just before El was about to answer, Erik leapt at him from behind, wrapping his arms around his neck in a hug. It was a miracle and a half he hadn’t tossed his food in the process. Erik gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek before taking his beer back and downing the rest of it.

“Yep. I really do.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We made it! This is the end of this little fic, but trust me, I love this AU to death so there will most likely be a few one-shots in the future. Let me know what you wanna see!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading and coming along for the ride! <3

_Another year later..._

“I can’t believe they just invited us back. We didn’t even have to try out.” Erik stared at the email on his phone in disbelief.

Victimizer had become a pretty popular local band, playing clubs and even a few larger outdoor venues in neighboring towns. They had even landed a gig at El’s school last semester. Erik’s head was still spinning from any sort of success, he could still remember when they were just starting out in Zill’s basement. 

El gave Erik a sweet smile across the table, reaching out to grab his hand. “I’ve been telling you for two years now that you guys are talented. Do you finally believe me?” 

Erik looked back at him a little bashful. “Yeah, yeah. I guess I do.”

El had one year left of school, the summer break quickly approaching. Two more semesters and he’d be graduated and free. They hadn’t really talked about what the plan was after, but Erik had put plenty of thought into it while El was away.

He was worried about Mia going off to college at the end of the summer. He was excited for her, and he knew she’d have no issues with grades or making friends- but they’d been together since as long as Erik could remember. Being alone in the apartment made his stomach churn. He looked up at El nervously. He’d waited long enough, it was finally time to ask.

“Hey, I have a pretty important question for you, and don’t feel pressured to answer me on the spot, okay?" He folded his hands on the table in front of him. "Take some time to think about it.”

El leaned forward, a sly smile forming on his face. He had a pretty good idea, there weren’t too many times they weren’t on the same page from the get-go. He had a knack for reading Erik like an open book.

“Yes, I’ll move in.”

The air left Erik’s lungs in a puff, how had he- “How did you- I mean, yeah. That’s...that was it.” 

El reached further across the table and cupped Erik’s face in his hands. “Sweetheart, I love you but you are anything but subtle. I have a toothbrush here, a drawer in your dresser, and my own nightstand. I have a house key!”

Erik scratched at the back of his neck. Guilty. “Heh, yeah I guess I didn’t try to hide that one at all, huh. So when you come home for summer break...want home to be here?”

“Yes. More than anything.” He got up from the table to give Erik a gentle kiss to the cheek. Just then Mia plodded into the kitchen from her room, in search of coffee.

“Ugh, now I have to see you two being disgusting all the time? Maybe I should move _out_.”

“Hey, you said it, not me.”

“ _Thanks_ , Erik.”

_______________

El had settled in nicely in Erik’s- now _their_ apartment. Amber had wiped at her eyes as they drove away, car packed with boxes. He was only moving across town, fifteen minutes tops, but it still brought a tear to her eye thinking her little soldier who used to throw dirt at his sister in the backyard was all grown up and moving out with his boyfriend.

She was forever grateful that Eleven had met Erik. Erik had brought the best out of her son, pulling him out of his shell a bit and giving him the confidence he needed to truly be himself. Amber loved Erik and Mia as her own, and she spent plenty of time having them over for dinner when El was off at school.

Erik had come over on a weeknight a few weeks before they moved him out, shivering even though the winter chill had long thawed into spring. He sat at the table anxiously crossing and uncrossing his restless legs. She didn’t need a mother’s intuition to know something was bothering the boy, and if he’d come straight to her it no doubt involved her son.

“What’s bothering you, dear? You look like you’re here to confess to a crime!” She sat across from him, setting a cup of warm tea in his shaking hands.

He swallowed hard before talking, his dry throat making his voice crack.

“Well, I’m here to ask you something. El and I have been together for almost two years, and he’ll be done with school this time next year. As you already know I asked him to move in last weekend, and he said yes. Well, this summer I also wanted to ask him…” He swallowed hard again and took a long sip of tea to calm his nerves. It was just Amber. And by the look on her face she already knew what he was about to say.

“I wanted to ask him to marry me.”

Amber’s smile warmed his heart more than any tea ever could. She wiped a stray tear before getting up to hug him. “Oh, that’s fantastic news, dear. You know you and Mia are already welcome members of our family. Just promise you’ll take good care of each other? And do let me know if you need help with anything.”

Erik nodded, wiping away a tear of his own. “I’ll do my best, it’s what he deserves. And thank you...for everything. I mean it.”

Man, if his bandmates could see him now, he’d never be able to live it down. El really did bring out his softer side.

_______________

Erik sat at his drum kit, face down on the snare drum. He knew he had to tell them about his plan, but that didn’t make the task any less daunting. Somehow this was going to be harder than telling Amber.

Nana sat at her desk typing up a storm, surely securing everything for the upcoming festival. They’d been shocked into a rare silence when she’d told them about the invitation email, it made the band feel like they’d really made it.

Ace walked over from where he was peering over her shoulder to poke Erik in the arm.

“Great, two weeks before the festival and our drummer died.”

“Shuddup.” Erik pulled himself up and rested his chin in his hand, looking at the rest of them thoughtfully. “I actually need some help, if you guys don’t mind. It’s...pretty important.”

They perked up. Erik wasn’t serious about too many things and almost never asked for help, so this had to be good.

Everyone’s undivided attention caused Erik to flush. Did they all have to stare at him like that? He took a deep breath and it came out in a rush.

“I sorta planned on proposing to El at the festival while we were on stage.” His hands flew up to cover his now red face as everyone began talking at once.

Zill lifted Erik out of his seat and into a bone-crushing hug. “We’ve been _waiting_ for this. Ace was worried you wouldn’t tell us.” She set him back down and rested her elbows on his drum set, which she knew he hated, chin in her hands with a smile. “So spill! What’s the plan? Oh man, I can’t wait to see Ellie’s _face_.”

_______________

They were back at the festival for a third year in a row, and it was almost starting to feel like a weird summer tradition. El and Jade stood at the front of the barriers once again, waiting for Victimizer to come on.

Erik had specific plans for this set, and Jade was in on it as well. He had a special drumstick he needed to toss to Eleven mid-performance, and he tried to ignore his anxious mind pointing out all of the potential ways it could go wrong. Like Zill had told him, when it boiled down to it, it was just him and El. No matter how he asked or how it went, he knew all that mattered was the two of them. He took a few deep breaths and a last sip of water. It was time.

They walked out on stage, and the crowd cheered. No matter how many times they played, it was still such an experience that people actually _wanted_ to hear them. It was surreal in the best way. 

Erik let the music wash away his nervousness. Smacking the hell out of something was pretty great for that. The time he’d been waiting for soon came, and he took a deep breath before grabbing the stick he’d set beside his kit. 

Erik stood up and made sure to make steady eye contact with El before lobbing the stick at his head. 

_Please catch this._

Eleven watched it sail through the air and reached out to grab it, looking away at the same time in case it hit him in the face. It slipped through his grasp and hit him in the face anyway, but he caught it against his chest before it could fall to the ground. 

Erik was looking at him expectantly, and the band suddenly seemed to be vamping before they began the next song. He counted the same drum fill three times in a row. Before he could ponder it further the whole band was staring at him. Jade shoved his shoulder to break him out of his daze.

“Eleven, look at the stick.”

Everyone around him watched as he turned the battered drum stick in his hands. There, scrawled in permanent marker were the words:

‘Marry me?’

El’s breath caught in his throat. As realization dawned tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. Others around him began to clap and cheer. El looked up at Erik, wide-eyed. Was he serious?

He had already climbed out of his drum pit and was at the edge of the stage, down on his knee.

He was dead serious. 

Ace and Zill walked over to clap a hand on each of Erik’s shoulders. Ace held up his mic and grinned at El. “C’mon, it’s only the rest of your life. Whaddaya say? Don’t leave my man hanging.”

El’s face broke into the widest smile it could manage. He nodded enthusiastically and did his best to shout as loud as he could as his throat tightened with unshed tears of joy. 

“Yes! Yes, of course I will.”

With that, Erik jumped down and grabbed El in a bone-crushing hug over the barrier. He pulled back and wiped a tear from his cheek before crushing their lips together. Before letting go, he rested his forehead against El’s for a moment, just enjoying the onslaught of emotions swirling in his chest.

“Thank you. I am the best version of myself because of you. I hope to make you as happy as you’ve made me." His smile was so wide it hurt. "I love you, babe. Forever.”

El gave him one last kiss before he ran back to the stage, an immovable grin of triumph on his face. That was his fiance.

Zill turned to look back at Erik with a wicked grin, talking into her microphone. “Congrats, dude. Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding. Someone go buy our man and his fiance a beer or two after the set. We’re partyin’ tonight!”

Jade eyed El with a sly smile. What she’d said last year was still true. Out of all of the people to end up with her brother, he definitely could have chosen worse. She wrapped an arm around El’s shoulders, pulling him in for a half-hug.

"Don’t worry, I’ll drive you both home. Have fun tonight.”

It was a good thing too, because as soon as the set was over El couldn’t keep up with the free beer. One in each hand, he leaned into Erik when he appeared after packing up.

“Woah! Looks like you got started without me! Here, let me catch up.” He took one of them out of El’s hand, and was handed another by a passerby. He held it up with a smile. “Thanks, man! Okay, yeah, now I see how this happened.”

They found themselves seated on the grass under a canopy, Erik in El’s lap, empty cups stacked on either side of them. El let his chin fall on Erik’s shoulder.

“Where’s my ring? Aren’t I supposed to get one?” El stuck his hand in Erik’s face and wiggled his fingers. Erik grabbed his hand and brought it down to kiss it.

“S’ at home, hold your horses. Didn’t wanna bring it and lose it or somethin’.”

“Wait, you had it at home? Sneaky.” He reached around and hugged Erik tight before tickling his sides.

Erik laughed, squirming while he half-heartedly tried to get away. His heart swelled at the way El said home. _Their home_. “Did you have any idea I was gonna ask?”

El thought for a moment. “Nope. I mean I hoped it was coming, but I was totally surprised.”

He turned his head to kiss Erik’s cheek. “Can’t wait to call you _husband_.”

Erik gasped, his face flushing. He tried to memorize the way El had said the word so he could replay it in his mind over and over. He craned his neck and turned to kiss him, holding his face with both hands.

“Holy _shit_ I love you.”

El hummed against his lips, a smile forming. “Love you too.” El pulled him down when he rolled back onto the grass, still holding Erik against his chest. They were a giggling mess and a tangle of limbs, knocking the empty cups over in their flailing.

Jade walked up, hands on her hips as she eyed the mess. “I see you two haven’t had a shortage of drinks. Can either of you stand?”

Erik looked up in a daze. “Hiiii Jade! Have you met my fiance?”

She couldn’t help but smile. As stupid as they were, they were also stupidly adorable.

“Considering he’s my little brother...yeah. We’ve met.” She hauled them both up, and luckily they wouldn’t fall as long as they were holding hands. She grabbed El’s free hand and began to lead them toward the exit. Once they were buckled into the back seat of the car, El had already slumped into Erik’s lap, asleep.

Jade peeked at them in the rearview mirror and laughed when she saw Erik poking El in the cheek. “Good luck waking him up.”

Erik looked up and met her eyes. “Trust me, I know. I’ll be carrying him inside.”

_________________

El woke up with a mess of blue hair in his face. He gently adjusted Erik and in return he sleepily wrapped his arms around El’s midsection, burying his head in El’s chest.

He desperately needed a glass of water and perhaps an aspirin, but he also didn’t want to move. He hugged Erik closer, the fact that waking up together would be their new normal and not just something they got to do during visits or holiday breaks was almost too good to be true. As soon as he graduated this would be his every morning, and he couldn’t be happier. 

Erik groaned and covered his eyes. “What time is it?”

El tried to reach for his phone but ended up knocking it to the floor. “Fuck. I’m not sure but I feel like I got hit by a bus.” He threw his arm over his face to try and keep out the daylight. “Sunlight should be illegal.”

Before Erik could reply his stomach did for him, making them both laugh. He looked up at El through his tangled mess of hair.

“If I make coffee can you make breakfast? I’ll make it worth your while later…” He reached down to grab a handful of ass, earning a giggle and a kiss to his forehead.

“Sounds fair. Now the hard part…” He sat up, hair sticking up in a few directions. Once his feet finally hit the floor he slipped on his sleep pants and shuffled his way out to the kitchen with Erik in tow. After ten minutes or so they both convened at the table, Erik handing over a steaming coffee mug while El handed him a plate of fresh scrambled eggs in return.

Erik reached across the table and bumped his closed fist against El’s. “We make a pretty good team.”

El took a long sip of coffee and gave him a winning smile in return. “We do, don’t we?” He didn’t try to get caught up in thinking about all of the little things like this that they’d get to do together every day, but it happened anyway.

He reached for his phone and frowned when it was acting strange. Social apps wouldn’t open at all, and when they finally did he had an unholy amount of notifications.

“Erik, what did you do?” He held the screen up and was met with a gasp, then a snicker as Erik took his phone and scrolled through the mess. His eyes got wider until he set El’s phone back on the table, grabbing his own out of his pocket.

“Looks like someone standing near you videoed yesterday. Congrats, we’re viral.”

He continued paging through his own feed, his smile growing. “This is gonna be great for the band. Lemme text Nana quick. Oh wait. She already knows. Holy shit. We have _interview requests_. This is insane.”

El ran a lazy hand through his hair before resting his chin in his hand. It was still too early to process what was going on. “So you’re telling me everyone’s seen this?” He checked his texts, his college friends had already sent their congratulations and made fun of him. He set his phone down with a sigh. “Well I guess there are worse things. At least we have video for when we get old and can’t remember anything.”

Erik got up to give him a kiss, Nana’s number already half-dialed. “We’re just that cute. I’ll be back in a few, band manager is flipping out.”

Mia walked into the kitchen as El stabbed at the eggs on his plate, giving him a smirk El swore had to be genetic.

“Welcome to the family. You guys are still lame.” 

El laughed and held his hand out for a fist bump as she passed behind his chair to pour a cup of coffee. “Thanks, Mia.” She slid into the chair across from him as Erik chatted on the phone in the living room.

“Seriously though, thanks for…” she looked over her shoulder to where Erik was making some exaggerated gesture with his hand while talking. “...dealing with that. As gross as my brother being all sappy is, he definitely could have chosen worse.”

El gave her a bright smile before downing the rest of his coffee. That was the closest thing to a compliment he could get from Mia. “That means a lot.” 

He rinsed out his mug and left it in the sink for later, heading back to the bedroom to get changed. He had a whole day of nothing planned, maybe he and Erik could go see a movie or something.

Erik bounded into the bedroom a few minutes later and tackled El down to the bed in a hug. El looked down at him from where his head rested on his stomach. “Well hello to you too.”

He wiggled up to grab El’s face and kissed him dramatically before sitting up with a grin. “Oh, before I forget." He dug around in his pocket before producing a small box. "This is yours.”

El took the box and gently opened it, taking the thin silver band out from its cushioned slot. It was relatively simple, with an intricate engraving that wove its way around the band. Erik sat with his palm out, and El gave it back for a moment so he could properly slide it on his ring finger. He gave El’s hand a kiss before letting go. “This isn’t the one you’ll be wearing forever, but I still hope you like it. I designed the pattern.”

He pulled him in for a hug and squeezed until he felt Erik’s back pop. “Shut up, I love it. It’s perfect.”

When El let go Erik swiped at his eyes and tried to act like he wasn’t just crying. “So what do you wanna do today? Erik asked. "Schedule’s clear.”

El grabbed him around the waist and pulled him down into a cuddle. He held his hand up and spun the thin band around his finger with his thumb, admiring it. They were really doing this. His own happy tears threatened to fall at the corners of his eyes as he grabbed Erik’s hand and held it tight.

“This...with you. Forever.”


End file.
